How to Teach ‘Voters and Elections’ Lesson Plan

Time: 60 mins,

Updated: March 10 2020,

Author: Andrea Caceres-Santamaria

Teacher Version

Objective Standards Summary Description Resources

Objective

Teachers will be able to:

Identify costs associated with voting.
Make predictions about who might be more likely to vote based on their understanding of opportunity costs.

Standards

State Standards

Concepts

Credit, Decision Making/Cost-Benefit Analysis

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In this economics webinar, teachers will learn about a lesson plan that covers the cost and benefits of voting.

Description

Voter turnout in the United States influences the outcomes of elections. Politicians spend a great deal of time and energy trying to get their supporters to the polls. But why should this be a problem? Why don’t all eligible voters vote? Economists who have studied this question believe that the answer has to do with the benefits and costs of voting. One sort of opportunity cost is especially helpful in explaining why some people choose not to vote.